Casey still thinks DeRozan can be one of the team’s dynamic crunch-time scorers in years to come: “That’s who we want it to be. That’s who we want to be that guy.”

And for DeRozan’s part, he wants to be in Toronto.

“Things will definitely be fun because it’s a chance to give the city something that they want and something that I want — that’s making the playoffs,” DeRozan said when asked about the possibility of being part of an exciting, young team. “We’re definitely going to make a run next year.”

Despite the possible presence of two intriguing young shooting guards in the draft — Florida’s Brad Beal and Connecticut’s Jeremy Lamb — DeRozan figures to be a part of that team, one that tries to turn promise into substance.

But usually by your third or fourth year, you are who you are as an NBA player. The Raptors will have to hope that DeRozan’s spurt indicates an incline this time around, instead of a plateau.